Dogs Beware, ‘John Wick 2’ Will Get the Comic Book Treatment in 2017

Sometimes, the best films are the ones with the simplest concepts. For instance, “Just 100 minutes of Keanu Reeves beating the pus out of Russian gangsters” turned out to be a premise worth its weight in gold, as if cinema has never really needed more than Keanu in an all-black suit delivering beatdown after beatdown. In 2014, John Wick effortlessly reminded audiences of how competent, how brutal, how downright fun action cinema could and should be, and the studios responded in kind with news of a sequel. But all dogs would do well to watch their little doggy backs in the months to come, because Wick’s got more than a movie on the horizon.

In support of John Wick: Chapter 2’s release on February 17, Dynamite Entertainment will publish a comic book adaptation of the unstoppable hitman’s bone-crunching exploits. The publishing house has already explored a comic series structured around James Bond, and they’re now planning to bring another screen property to the page in the hopes that the fans will follow. Dynamite Publisher Nick Barrucci told The Hollywood Reporter:

Such an exciting film, mixing martial arts action with snappy dialogue and smart writing... As the credits rolled, you were left wanting more, and it was obvious that they had the makings of a franchise. We were quick to pursue the opportunity to develop a comic book series, and are thrilled to have been granted the rights to tell all-new stories with the character!

While Dynamite has yet to assemble a creative team or pin down an exact release date for the comic, this seems like as foolproof a concept as the film itself. Dead pet, revenge rampage, Keanu, black suit, can’t fail. Take a look at some of the first concept art below, little more than a pen-and-ink rendering of a still from the original film, and pity the poor wretch who crosses Wick’s path.